I Need You
by total-romantic13
Summary: One shot R/H. Set in Deathly Hallows, Hermione's POV. Missing moments from when Ron left to when he returns. What happened the night Ron came back that Harry didn't see...? Rated T just to be safe!


**I don't own any of the Harry Potter universe and the characters entirely belong to the wonderful J K Rowling (sucks to be me)!**

**One shot Ron/Hermione relationship. Set in Deathly Hallows, snippets from the time Ron leaves until his return. Hermione's POV. The emotions and events that Harry didn't see. Drama/Romance. Please review review review!!!!! I would love to write more if you like it!**

So began the darkest days of Hermione Granger's life. Death Eaters, crazy Hogwarts dictatorships and even Fred and George's experiments had not tested her as much as when he left.

For the past 5 years she had loved him in silence (relatively), maybe even longer without knowing it and she couldn't understand how he could just leave like that. None of the numerous books she had come across, both muggle and magical, had prepared her for the tide of emotions that rose up when she realised he had left her. Harry was still there of course but it just wasn't the same and she knew she would NEVER forgive Ronald Weasley as long as she lived!

The world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched Harry and Ron confront eachother. Every issue that had ever festered under the surface through 6 years of friendship came bubbling up in a vengeful tirade and all Hermione could do was stand there in horror. Wasn't it bad enough that everyone they cared about was in danger and that the world as they knew it could possibly cease to exist? Did they really have to tear each other apart?

"We thought you knew what you were doing! We thought Dumbledore had told you what to do, we thought you had a real plan!"

Ron's words were spat out with such harshness, and Hermione was ashamed that they had been her thoughts too over the past several months. It was not fair. How was it really Harry's fault... how can you ask a boy of just seventeen to uncover the sinister plan of the worlds most evil and arguably most powerful wizard!? Not to mention the fact that they were seriously hindered by the innumerable protection measures they had use to remain hidden.

"Ron," she had whispered. That was all she had managed to get out with the huge lump that was lodged in her throat.

She would never be able to forget the look of his face screwed up in rage and contempt. Every harsh world that had been spoken with that horrible gold chain around his neck had cut into her more deeply than she would ever care to admit. His last words to her, "I get it. You choose him." still echoed in her head through every long excruciating day that followed. She had wanted to scream and cry and shout that she loved him a thousand times but all she could do was lift her shield charm and run out into the cold, damp night calling "Come back! Come back!" But he was gone and so was she.

Every night she had cried. Hermione was not the type to fall into a useless heap, especially when important things were waiting to be accomplished, but she had no strength left. She and Harry could not even look at each other and the thought of mentioning Ron's name was laughable. Christmas passed, snow settled on the forest floors and their nightmarish trip to Godric's Hollow seemed more like a dream with each passing day. She would have gladly gone 5 rounds with Grindelwald or Nagini in order to have Ron back with them, to heal the broken trio. A few times when she was pretending to sleep she thought she heard Harry whisper 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good' and she knew he was looking for a trace of Ron at the castle.

Her mind constantly drifted back to Dumbledore's funeral when she had rested her head on his shoulder and breathed in his scent. It was the earthy smell of the burrow and broom polish from taking care of his new Cleansweep and something she couldn't quite put her finger on...it was just...innately Ron.

Although she had been devastated at the loss of Dumbledore and the horrors that no doubt awaited them, she couldn't help but feel stronger with him at her side.

It wasn't a significant moment when she had realised she loved him. It was back in fourth year when they were working on a Potions essay in the common room and Ron was frantically looking things up in his text to her surprise she had found it very difficult to concentrate on her work and kept staring into space. It had taken her half an hour to realise that she was in fact staring at him. She was staring at the way his forehead wrinkled in concentration and he scrunched up his hair in exasperation. She thought about the way his blue eyes were so kind when they were looking at Ginny or Harry, and the way they flashed with passionate hatred when he glared at Malfoy! The way his lanky body was starting to fill out and his shoulders were becoming more defined. The way he shoveled food into his mouth as if he would never have another meal and the way... the way his smile seemed to light up when she looked at him.

She snuggled into her sleeping bag to rest her tired, frozen bones. Hermione has just come in from another night watch patrolling the tent, another night straining to hear a sound, any sound that indicated another life form. Although she knew she was supposed to be listening for Death Eaters, every time the snow crunched or a leaf rustled her heart lifted at the though that it might be Ron. She closed her eyes and wished she had one of the twins patented Daydream Charms so she could escape from the utter hopelessness of the situation for a while. As she lay in the tent and listened to Harry beginning his patrol she tried desperately to imagine his lips on hers and the feel of his hands running through her hair. Kissing him on the cheek before his first Quidditch match was the closest she had ever come but in her mind...oh in her mind they were way past that ! After what may have been hours or minutes she finally drifted off into a fitful sleep only to be awoken by Harry shaking her urgently.

Once she got over the initial confusion of being woken so abruptly she was faced with a problem. What does a person do when their most heartfelt dream becomes a reality? The glow of blue flames illuminated the very face she had dreamed about and ached for for months. He stood at the entrance to the tent with a sheepish look on his face, dripping wet and holding the sword of Gryffindor no less!

She froze and could feel a stupid open mouthed expression creep over her face as she struggled to believe that he had come back, the boy she loved was standing right there and all she wanted to do was throw herself and him and...

SMACK! Hermione had an out of body experience and watched as she rained blows down on Ron and yelled in a high pitched, strangled sort of voice. It wasn't the reaction she had anticipated from herself but he bloody well deserved it! Only Harry's shield charm could force them apart and she continued to scream, "I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back!" The rain pounding on the tent drowned out his quiet, guilty apologies and Harry said in a calm voice, "He saved my life."

'Oh of course he bloody did' Hermione thought to herself and suddenly she felt utterly spent, collapsed into a chair and curled up tightly.

It had been hours since his return and Hermione sat motionless in the chair across from a very nervous looking Ron. She was staring at the floor and neither had spoken in at least an hour. The sword of Gryffindor lay abandoned on the floor and Harry had had the grace to retreat to the far corner and fall asleep. A few times she had opened her mouth to speak but felt tears welling up and promptly closed it again. There was no way she was going to give Ronald the satisfaction of tears! Ron would not take his eyes off her and she could feel them piercing her soul, willing her to look at him. When she finally could take it no more she rose and made her way to the beaded bag, where she took out a thick jumper and pulled it on over her thin t-shirt.

"Well if you're wearing my jumper, does that mean you won't hate me forever or does it just mean you really think we can win the tournament this year?"

Hermione realised too late that she had pulled on his old Chudley Cannons shirt. She had packed it for comfort and a reminder of better times and was now horribly humiliated to have been discovered with it. She fixed him with a withering stare truly worthy of Professor McGonagall and made her way towards the door of the tent.

"'Mione please." He reached out and caught her elbow on the way past, the use of his nickname for her forcing the breath to catch in her throat and her skin to light on fire where he touched.

"Please can we just talk. Please." Then she made the biggest mistake of all and looked directly into his deep blue eyes. Unable to hold back the emotions any more Hermione furiously blinked away tears, wrenched her arm from his grip and marched out of the tent. She stood outside staring blankly into the forest knowing that he would be right behind her.

"You don't have to talk, believe me I understand why you hate me right now but I need to explain. To apologise. I can never apologise enough Hermione." His voice was quiet and there was a tentativeness that she had never heard before.

"I broke it. I broke what we had when I left. I, I was selfish and I was ashamed and Bill and Fleur let me know about it, don't you worry. I worried about you every day...and Harry of course

" the words came tumbling out. "I didn't mean what I said. I know you weren't choosing him over and me and it was pretty effing awful of me to put you in that position. I hope...I hope that we can be friends again soon. Because..." Ron paused and the silence that followed was the loudest Hermione had ever known...

"Because...I need you." He finished shakily. He had moved slightly closer to her now and she could feel his breath on her neck. Hermione Granger, the most intelligent girl in the whole of Hogwarts was absolutely lost for words.

'Don't you DARE turn around Hermione Granger', her brain screamed at her. Even as she thought this she could feel her feet rotating and she came face to face with him. Her resolve melted. He had a serious look on his face like he was scrutinising a Quidditch play and she noticed that his hair had grown and he had some dark stubble coming through. His arms flopped awkwardly at his sides and he looked down at her with those intense eyes that made her knees weak. He had held out his arms to her in a feeble 'give me a hug' kind of way earlier but she had been too hysterical. She wondered if the offer still stood. Could she really throw herself into his arms and forgive the hell he put them both through. Harry seemed to have forgotten all about it but that was boys for you. Besides she got the sense that more that gone on in destroying the Horcrux than she was privy to.

"Don't mention it again. It's done and we have more important things to focus on" The words had come out far more cutting than she intended (as they often did) and his face tightened slightly.

"That's not what I...I just mean we should move on. We still have lots to accomplish and it's certainly not going to get any easier." Her voice was higher than usual and she didn't even realise a tear was rolling down her cheek until Ron reached over and brushed it away. The moment his hand touched her she lost control and took a step towards him and the next thing she new she was in his arms. Her head rested under his chin, he stroked her unruly brown hair and his strong arms gently wrapped around her. She breathed deeply and let out an involentary sigh when her nostrils filled with his scent, his heartbeat quickened slightly and for the first time in a long time Hermione smiled.

She didn't know how long they stood like that but she felt that the approach of Voldemort himself would have gone unnoticed. Much too soon for her liking Ron gently pulled her away from him and said, "I'll take first watch, you should try and get some rest." Then something extraordinary happened...he leaned down and brushed her lips quickly before abruptly turning away and busying himself with re-checking the protection spells. She could see the tips of his ears burning red.

His lips were so soft just like she had always imagined and his stubble had tickled her chin just a little. The tenderness in that one quick motion was incredible and her skin was a strange combination of hot and cold and tingly all at once. That brief second had affected her more than anything Krum or McLaggen ever did and Hermione knew that when the time was right she would kiss him back. Ron would finally learn just how much she loved him and Hermione was determined that it would be the first of many kisses to come.

**Thanks for reading! Review please!!!**


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